You Can't Beat the Cards

I crossed the East River to play bridge with the Dodgers on the last day of baseball glory for Ebbets Field and Brooklyn.

We played on top of a trunk in the players' dressing room—the baseball man's accustomed card table. In the course of three rubbers Manager Walt Alston kept shuffling his lineup. I played with and against Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Gino Cimoli, Ed Roebuck, the mgr himself and Coach Billy Herman—since departed for Milwaukee. Duke Snider, Charlie Neal, Don Zimmer, Jake Pitler and perhaps half a dozen other knowledgeable kibitzers left no doubt that bridge is this team's favorite card game.

How good is their bridge? Judge for yourself by the way I got caught in this double play.

Gino opened the club 10. Billy won with the ace and led back the jack. The situation did not look hopeful. I was sure to lose a diamond, and East figured to have two trump tricks in order to justify his double. However, there was a chance if I could trap Billy.

The Braves have finally won their pennant and they should be even better this year. The pitching is superb and very deep, the power unmatched in either league, the catching solid and the defense is at least adequate. The Braves are both good and young—and they are going to be hard to catch

Here is a ball club with leadership and spirit, a great hitter, a tight infield, good run production—and the memory of how tough they made it on the Braves last year. There are weaknesses, but if the fine young pitching staff produces with real consistency, the Cardinals could go all the way

Here are your Dodgers, Los Angeles. Once they were magnificent, but now they are playing on a memory. They have lost the flash of Robinson on the base paths, the boom of Campanella's bat. Applaud them anyway and perhaps in time they will reward you with a pennant. But not for a while

Speed, power, catching and a sharp defense can carry a club a long way—or just as far as the pitching will allow. The Reds have made some trades and they have some new pitchers who should produce. With a little help from the old ones, this is a team that could win a pennant

Philadelphians have known dark days. Between the two wars, the Phillies finished in last place 16 times. Then in 1950, after 35 years of ridicule, the Phillies won a pennant. Happy days, it seemed, had come at last. But they have not come close since, and fans are wondering if they must wait another 35 years

The Giants arrive at the Pacific brimming with hope. A new era demands a new team, and with smart looking rookies augmenting the wonderful reality of Willie Mays, the Giants believe they might have that new team. The question marks are many, however, and time, as they say, will tell

People tend to mock the Cubs. In Chicago the newspapermen like to call them the Cubbies, to demonstrate how ineffectual they are. Possibly it's true. Possibly the Cubs this year are just as bad as ever. But do not forget that there are some very fine ballplayers on this otherwise weak team

The Pirates were supposed to start their climb last year—and didn't. Now, a year wiser, they realize that half a dozen fine young players can't do it alone. But if Kluszewski can only deliver those big hits and the pitching staff somehow comes around...well, 1958 could be different

It is a new year but the Yankees of '58 are an old story. As in the past, they have power, pride and the winning habit. Some critics may argue that this team is not to be compared with the great Yankee teams of '27 or '36, but what does it really matter? They are good enough to win...and easily

Without a home run hitter worthy of the name, the White Sox are all set to make their annual run at the Yankees—and the elusive pennant. If they succeed, it will be because they can pitch and run and field much better than anyone else. They still can't hit the baseball out of the park

No one has spent more money for more disappointment than the owner of the Red Sox, Tom Yawkey. Ten years ago he had the team everyone wanted: Williams, Doerr, Stephens, Pesky and DiMaggio. But it won no pennant. Now all that remains is Williams. But for some, that is enough

Everybody's glamour club last spring and a bitter disappointment in the summer, the Tigers don't intend to be either this year. They think they can win and, who knows, they might—if the Yankees were in another league. At least, they should be closer at the finish this season

People have just about forgotten that the Baltimore Orioles used to be the St. Louis Browns, so far up the ladder of respectability have the Orioles climbed. They finished within a half game of the first division last season, and they have hopes of reaching that promised land this year

Last season was disastrous for the Indians. Herb Score was hit in the eye, Bob Lemon hurt his arm, the pitching fell apart, and after 10 years in the first division they collapsed into sixth place. Now, with a new manager and a new general manager, the Indians start the long road back

Once Lou Boudreau left the scene last season and Harry Craft succeeded him, Kansas City started to play more spirited ball. But the final result was about the same since there isn't that much difference between last and seventh places. By now, Cowtown fans must be resigned to what they have

Summers are generally long in Washington. This year should prove no exception as far as the Senators are concerned. Charley Dressen tired of the team last year, and now it's up to Cookie Lavagetto to inspire it for another long summer. But inspiration is a weak substitute for talented young baseball players

I planned to lead a heart to dummy's ace and trump a heart in my hand, cash the ace and king of diamonds and trump another heart, then cash the high club. At this point I hoped to find the cards like this:

N

[Ace of Spades][Queen of Spades][Jack of Hearts][9 of Hearts][5 of Diamonds][— of Clubs]

W

[6 of Spades][3 of Spades][Queen of Hearts][Jack of Diamonds][9 of Clubs]

E

[King of Spades][10 of Spades][9 of Spades][7 of Spades][— of Hearts][Queen of Diamonds][— of Clubs]

S

[Jack of Spades][8 of Spades][5 of Spades][— of Hearts][9 of Diamonds][8 of Diamonds][— of Clubs]

Now I would lead a diamond and East would have to win. With nothing left but spades, his lead would let dummy make the ace and queen. Then dummy would lead a heart and East would be caught in a pickle. If he trumped with the king, I would discard and make my jack at the end. If he trumped with the 10, I would overruff. Either way, East could not prevent my jack of trumps from winning the game-going trick.

The cards were exactly as I hoped they'd lie, but Billy got out of the pickle with a beautiful fall-away.

Just before we reached the situation diagramed in my little plot, he dumped the queen of diamonds under my king. Consequently, the third diamond was won by West's jack and Gino cooperated to kick the ball out of my hand by returning a trump.

It did no good for me to rise with dummy's ace and lead a heart. East trumped with the nine to force my jack, overruffed my play of dummy's queen of spades on the fourth diamond, and won the last trick with his high 10 of trumps.

That night, the Dodgers played their last home game in Brooklyn. They beat the Pirates. But they couldn't beat the Cards (baseball) for second place in the National League, and I couldn't beat the cards (bridge) or the Dodgers either.

It is not my job to predict how the Los Angeles Dodgers will finish in this year's pennant race. But if there's a baseball bridge tournament, I pick 'em to finish on top—unless Billy Herman can find a trio of apt pupils waiting for him on the Braves.

PHOTO

NORTH

[Ace of Spades][Queen of Spades][Ace of Hearts][Jack of Hearts][9 of Hearts][8 of Hearts][4 of Hearts][7 of Clubs][6 of Clubs][2 of Clubs][King of Diamonds][6 of Diamonds][5 of Diamonds]

WEST

[6 of Spades][3 of Spades][Queen of Hearts][7 of Hearts][5 of Hearts][2 of Hearts][10 of Clubs][9 of Clubs][8 of Clubs][5 of Clubs][Jack of Diamonds][4 of Diamonds][2 of Diamonds]

SOUTH

[Jack of Spades][8 of Spades][5 of Spades][4 of Spades][2 of Spades][6 of Hearts][King of Clubs][Queen of Clubs][3 of Clubs][Ace of Diamonds][9 of Diamonds][8 of Diamonds][7 of Diamonds]

EAST

[King of Spades][10 of Spades][9 of Spades][7 of Spades][King of Hearts][10 of Hearts][3 of Hearts][Ace of Clubs][Jack of Clubs][4 of Clubs][Queen of Diamonds][10 of Diamonds][3 of Diamonds]